


Wishing on a Star

by roman510



Category: Fire Emblem Series, Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: Angst, F/M, Fire Emblem: Three Houses Golden Deer Route, Fire Emblem: Three Houses Golden Deer Route Spoilers, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Post-Timeskip | War Phase (Fire Emblem: Three Houses)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-01-28
Updated: 2020-02-28
Packaged: 2021-02-27 07:40:13
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,117
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22043446
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/roman510/pseuds/roman510
Summary: It has been five years since the fall of the Garreg Mach Monastery. On the day of the Millennium Festival, the former students of the Golden Deer House keep their promise to reunite at the Monastery. Upon seeing Professor Byleth for the first time since the start of the War, the House leader turned Alliance leader decided that they would fight back against the Empire's conquest to usher in a new era of peace.Lysithea knew that she wouldn't live to see much of the fruits of their labor. Despite herself, somewhere deep in her heart, she clung to a tiny shred of hope that her Professor could achieve the impossible for her.
Relationships: My Unit | Byleth/Lysithea von Ordelia
Comments: 2
Kudos: 13





	1. Reunion at Dawn

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey there. This is my first long-form writing, and I'll be retelling Verdant Wind with emphasis on Best Girl and Best Ship. I've written before, though I've never really shared it online. There seems to be a serious lack of Best Ship, so I'm hoping to make amends to that.
> 
> I'm adding "Major Character Death" now because it's going to happen eventually and I don't want to spoil when it does by adding it with the chapter.

I traveled swiftly along the edge of the forest, sticking to the trees to avoid detection while following near the path for direction. I wore a violet dress and white tights. I carried a hooded lantern and a satchel of food and clothes for the journey. Tied to my back was the Hero's Relic, Thyrsus, entrusted to me by the Professor. 

There's no such thing as ghosts. There's no such thing as ghosts...

I didn't want to travel at night, but it was my best chance of reaching my destination alive. I fight with magic, so it would be near impossible to hide my presence if I had to defend myself. Unless I planned to fight an entire group of bandits alone, my best bet was to use the cover of darkness to avoid combat altogether. 

The Golden Deer had promised that they would reunite tomorrow, on the day of the Millennium Festival. Though the Monastery was likely still in ruins, I was confident that my friends would keep their promise. And if the Professor was still alive, he would surely show as well. 

_"You're quite determined."_

The Professor's voice rang through my mind. Though it was delivered quite monotonously, that sentence brought me more emotions than anything else I had heard during her time at the Academy.

_"Yes. You're always pushing yourself."_

I smiled to myself. The Professor knew me well, and I felt an overwhelming sense of trust while I spoke with him. He treated me differently than everyone else. I might have had the _tiniest_ childish crush on him back then, but even now, I value him as a friend. He was truly special to me. Then I frowned. He had disappeared without a trace for the past five years. Anyone else would believe him dead. But for the students of the Golden Deer, it would be strange for him to not have survived. He was no ordinary man. He had survived much worse. Though, if he was alive, then where had he been for all this time? Something deep within me felt certain that the Professor was alive, but was that all just wishful thinking?

SNAP

I jolted back into reality and lifted myself off the ground with my magic. Cursing myself for getting lost in my own thoughts, I checked my surroundings to see if anyone noticed that twig snapping. Despite being a powerful Warlock, I didn't want to fight anyone alone. Thankfully, the path seemed to be deserted. Sighing, I let myself down and continued my trek. 

A few minutes later, I saw the flicker of a lantern in the distance. Again, I began levitating as I peered out from the treeline to evaluate the threat. A towering figure wearing leather armor and wielding silver gauntlets walked along the path. Beside him, a familiar blue-haired Bishop carried a lantern. 

"Hey there! Marianne! Raphael!" I called out. I broke away from the trees and started to jog towards them.

"Oh, u-um...hi, Lysith--" began Marianne. Her quiet voice was quickly interrupted by Raphael's booming greeting. 

"Hey Lysithea! I haven't seen you in ages! Come here and give your old friend a hug!" Raphael held his arms open. 

"Um, can this wait until later?" I replied, backing away a couple of steps. "In case you've forgotten, you're still wearing your gauntlets. I don't like the idea of being 'hugged' by a pair of giant metal claws. Besides, we have to make a good pace if we want to arrive before dawn breaks. I hear Garreg Mach has become a haven for thieves and bandits, so I'd like to get there before everyone wakes up."

Marianne nodded. "Yes, we should hurry."

Our little convoy continued on our path towards Garreg Mach at a brisk pace. As we neared the Monastery, I noticed a figure flying above the buildings, raining arrows down. I squinted, and through the darkness, I could make out the faint fiery orange glow of a Hero's Relic. Failnaught. 

"Something's wrong," I said, drawing Thyrsus and breaking into a sprint. "That's Claude up there."

Despite me having a head start, Raphael was easily able to overtake me. Upon reaching the ruined wall of the Monastery, he stopped with a look of surprise on his face.

"Is that the Professor and everyone else? If they're fighting, I gotta go help!"

My heart skipped a beat. "The Professor? Is he really still alive?" I thought to myself.

Sure enough, as I caught up to Raphael, I saw the Professor, shouting commands and swinging the Sword of the Creator. Just like old times. Perhaps the part of me that held on to her hopes did have some reason after all.

"Wow, it's you! Here I thought you were dead all this time," I exclaimed. Immediately, I mentally slapped myself. What kind of a greeting is "I thought you were dead" supposed to be? I could have been a bit more welcoming if I ever want the Professor to like me...not that it would be much use with what little time I have left...

Finally, Marianne caught up to us. Upon seeing the Professor, she immediately muttered to herself, "Could that be the Professor's...ghost?"

I grimaced. It took all of my willpower not to yell at Marianne for that comment. Of course he wouldn't become a ghost! Even if he had died, there was no reason for him to come back and haunt anyone! Besides, ghosts don't exist anyway!

My train of thought was interrupted when Claude spotted us from atop his mount. 

"Hey, you're late! Hurry up and help!"

 _This_ was Claude's idea of a reunion? I sighed. Though maybe it wouldn't be so bad if I had the Professor as my commander again. I couldn't help but smile just a little bit as I unleashed a Miasma spell on an enemy archer at his command.

* * *

As dawn broke, the light of the sun revealed the battlefield clearly. A complete and utter bloodbath, that's what this was. As Claude's arrow pierced the heart of the final bandit, everyone stopped to catch their breath. Looking around, I saw that there were easily thirty bodies, probably closer to forty. It didn't help that the only two (decent) mages arrived "late", so most of the bandits were killed the old fashioned way and now sat dead in pools of their own blood and innards. I subtly spent a cast of Warp to remove one that lay especially close to where I stood. Though I wasn't queasy, the sight of blood still made me anxious. On the bright side, it wasn't my own.

"Ugh, I'm exhausted! What gives, Professor?" Hilda cried.

Looking away from the corpses (if that was at all possible), I said, "I was so excited to see everyone again, and then this happens..."

"I'm still tired from the long journey. How did it come to this?" Leonie complained.

"Let's just take a moment to catch our breath..." Ignatz suggested, trying to calm everyone down.

"If you've got the spare time to play with those guys, the least you could do it prepare some tea," scolded Hilda. 

"Blame Claude," Byleth replied bluntly. He looked back at Claude for a reaction, a smirk on his face.

"Come on, those guys were thieves! We couldn't just let them get away," Claude protested. "It seems they've been taking advantage of the church's absence and doing whatever they please here."

"In any case, um... I'm glad that all of you are well," Marianne smiled.

"That's the spirit, Marianne!" cheered Ignatz.

"That was fun! In fact, I wouldn't mind romping around some more!" laughed Raphael.

"So, you were alive this whole time. I am not surprised. In fact, that is why I came here," said Lorenz. 

"And it doesn't look like time has rusted your skills. That's a relief!" said Leonie. 

"I'm just glad everyone's alive and well," said Claude. "On that note, let's move this reunion party somewhere else."

As Claude and Byleth led the class up to the cathedral, I took a look at the other students. All of them had changed in appearance. Ignatz had changed the most of the group, gaining a strong defined jawline that definitely made him look more grown up. Everyone had also changed their hairstyles. It still looked like Lorenz's barber used him as a guinea pig to test whatever mad hairstyle they could dream up, but everyone else looked very nice. I subconsciously touched my veil, which was the only thing that had changed about my hairstyle. I had never been very good at making myself look nice. Maybe if I was, I'd have a chance with the Professor...

Though, as I was observing everyone's new appearances, I couldn't help but feel _bigger_. The boys used to tower over me, and while they still did, it was much less pronounced. And was I taller than Hilda now? I discreetly slowed my pace so she could walk right next to Hilda. Sure enough, after straightening out my back, I confirmed that I was indeed taller. 

"Yes!" I whispered, gleefully skipping back up to the front of the group to join the Professor. Speaking of which, the Professor hadn't changed much at all. He still wore his old mercenary outfit and cloak. His bright green hair was even styled in the same way as it was five years ago. It was as if he'd been frozen somewhere for all this time. How strange.

* * *

The Cathedral was a mess. Though many of the pews had been broken and parts of the building collapsed, we found seats in the pews that remained. Claude and the Professor stood in front of us.

"Now that we've dealt with those violent bandits, we could potentially use this place as our base of operations again," announced Claude.

"What could you possibly mean by that?" asked Hilda.

"I'm talking about the Leicester Alliance taking over Garreg Mach Monastery," clarified Claude. "After all, it's right in the middle of Fódlan. It's a critical strategic location."

A strategic location? What could they need a strategic location for? Unless... I gasped.

"Are you suggesting we fight back against the Empire?" I asked.

"Aren't you getting a bit ahead of yourself?" questioned Lorenz. "The Alliance is in complete discord at present."

"And, as leader of the Imperial faction of the Alliance, isn't Count Gloucester, your father, the main cause of that discord?" Claude retorted.

"I..." stammered Lorenz. "Yes it it true. It was inevitable. Our house's territory is close to Imperial land, after all. Had we not consented to vassalage under the Empire, they would have invaded immediately." 

I had to admit, it was fun to see Lorenz flustered like this. It reminded me of when the Professor entrusted me with his house's Relic. Though it _was_ refreshing to see him concede like this. Back then, it took a long while of convincing from both me and the Professor before Lorenz allowed me (clearly the superior mage anyways) to wield Thyrsus. 

"Naturally. And to be clear, I have no problem with your house maintaining its Imperial ties until we're sufficiently prepared to revolt. The Empire is the cause of the infighting. If we rid ourselves of them, the situation should resolve itself. That's why I'm thinking we should make this our base, raise up an army, and stir up some trouble for the Empire," Claude explained. 

"Now you're talking! Sounds like fun!" laughed Raphael. 

"So then, Mr. Leader Man. Does this mean you intend to rope us into your little scheme?" asked Hilda. 

"Leader Man?" Byleth glanced back at Claude.

"Hm? Ah. My grandfather passed away. That means yours truly is now officially the leader of the Alliance," Claude explained. 

How had the Professor not known this? Perhaps he really was in stasis somewhere for these five years... 

"If we had a more reliable leader, perhaps the Alliance would not have been divided..." said Lorenz slyly.

"Think what you will," frowned Claude. "All I need to know is if you're in or you're out."

"I'm happy to lend a hand," offered Leonie. "I won't let those Imperial dogs set a foot in Alliance territory! I couldn't bear it if my village got caught up in the chaos of war."

"I'll fight too! I gotta protect my little sis!" said Raphael.

I sighed, thinking back to when the Imperial mages occupied the Ordelia house. The Empire had taken away my siblings, my parents' peace, even years of my own life!

"I will join too," I said with marked resolve. "After all, House Ordelia was once dragged into an Imperial revolt. It ruined us."

"Ah, of course," sighed Lorenz, looking at me. "I understand your motivation." I grinned slightly and nodded in appreciation. It was nice to finally see some compassion from the usually high-and-mighty Gloucester heir.

"I'll fight too... It's time to take responsibility for my own future!" cried Ignatz.

"I... I don't want to run anymore. I hope I'll be of use to everyone..." said Marianne.

"We can do anything if we work together Marianne!" Ignatz cheered.

"What about you, Lorenz?" Hilda asked accusingly. "Are you going back home to your scary father or what?"

"We cannot rely on Claude's scheming to lead us to victory," sneered Lorenz. "Therefore, I will remain. It is my duty to ensure Claude does not worsen the situation in the Alliance." He glared at the young Alliance leader. 

Claude seemed to ignore the provocation of the Gloucester noble. "All of us are fighting for a different reason, but we share a common enemy. If we don't act, the Empire will crush us eventually. I say we stop them before they have the chance!" He turned to the Professor. "So, Teach... Will you help as well?"

"I'll give it some thought," he replied. 

"Please do. I'm counting on you," affirmed Claude. "Even if your ultimate goal is to find Rhea, it would be better to stick with us as you search. With you on our side, the church will join as well. That makes fighting the Empire a moral cause, which means it will be easier to rally support. Above all, your knowledge and strength are indispensable if we hope to stand a chance against the Imperial army. Without you, my schemes are nothing. Just words. Please... Take all of that into consideration as you decide."

"You're really laying it all on the table, aren't you, Claude?" observed Hilda. "Well, all that aside, this place is a mess! We can't very well make our base in a ruin! And repairing it sounds like a lot of work... I wonder if anyone is willing to help us out with that?"

Suddenly, the group hear footsteps approaching. Seteth entered the cathedral and upon seeing the Professor, looked utterly shocked. "Can it be?! You were alive all this time?!"

Flayn, the other professors, and the Knights of Seiros joined quickly after.

"Professor! It's so good to see you again. My brother and I were worried about you," cried Flayn.

"Ah, thank the goddess..." beamed Alois. "I couldn't bear the thought of letting Jeralt down by not finding you."

"Guess you lucked out," stated Shamir.

"We've been looking everywhere for you! But... I see Lady Rhea isn't with you." Catherine frowned. "Damn."

"Everyone was real worried about you, Professor," said Cyril.

"Cyril? Is that you? You've grown up, kid. Have you been looking for Rhea with the knights?" asked Claude.

Cyril _had_ grown up, the difference was even more pronounced than Ignatz. I looked at Flayn. It was strange that Flayn hadn't changed at all. How old was she again? I made a mental note to look into that later.

"Of course," replied Cyril, snapping me back out of my thoughts. "Without Lady Rhea, I don't belong anywhere."

Claude frowned. "Cyril, that's not... Never mind. We'll figure it all out."

Manuela smiled at the class. "Oh my, the Golden Deer House is together again at last. And all grown up! Well for the most part."

I could have sworn that Manuela looked directly at me while delivering that last sentence. I stopped myself from having an outburst. I _was_ grown up, and grown-ups didn't yell at others for such trivial things as this. All I could do was sit in my seat, fuming.

"I do regret that we were never able to hold a proper graduation for all you students," said Hanneman, shaking his head.

"Why are you here?" the Professor asked bluntly.

"It has been five years since Lady Rhea disappeared," explained Seteth. "We have devoted all of our energies to finding her. However, without being able to set foot in Empire territory, we are at a standstill. We had hoped that perhaps the archbishop would return here on this day...that of the long-awaited millennium festival."

"Unfortunately that doesn't seem to be the case. Though, I don't suppose you had very high hopes in that regard," Claude stated. "Even if she were able to return here, with the monastery in ruins, I don't think she would have felt safe enough to do so. Right Hilda?" The Alliance Leader gave Hilda a sly wink.

"Yeah! This is an important location for the church. To think you've left it in such a state!" cried Hilda, perhaps a bit to emphatically. 

"It's a danger to the locals too," said the Professor. 

Alois frowned. "That's true... Perhaps we've left it alone for too long. We've got to make things right!"

"I can clean this place up like new!" offered Cyril. "It's not fit for Lady Rhea like this.

"And leaving this place in ruins affects the safety of this area too," added Catherine.

"Agreed. There is also a great deal of valuable literature here," said Hanneman.

"Then let's do it! If we all work together, we can restore the monastery to its original beauty!" cheered Ignatz. 

I silently groaned. I was still tired from the trip here. I just wanted to have a nap, then maybe find a good book to lose myself in. Besides, I wasn't strong anyways. Maybe they wouldn't miss me.

"We will require the aid of skilled craftsmen too. I shall seek out any such individuals who are willing to return to Garreg Mach," said Seteth.

"Fantastic! I'll figure out how to split up the work and then we can get started!" said Hilda with a sly grin.

As everyone was offering their own skills to rebuild the monastery, I quietly snuck off. I knew I wouldn't be of much help in the manual labor department, so I was just going to unpack and settle in. Maybe I'd rejoin the others later, or perhaps my efforts would be better spent studying in the library. Perhaps I'd even be able to help reorganize there, if the thieves had had their way in there too. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You really don't notice how much writing goes into a minute of cutscenes until you put that writing on to paper. I wish I could have written more, but I also want to keep things to a reasonable length. Hopefully more fluff with the next chapter, I'll make sure to take creative liberty with monastery exploration times.


	2. Memories and Tea

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AHHHH HAPPY BIRTHDAY, MY QUEEN!!!
> 
> I just had to put this out on her birthday, and as I was going through all of her dialogues looking for material I'm once again reminded why Lysithea is best girl and there's nothing that can change it.

I left the group, finding my old dormitory room. It seemed untouched by the army, but a thick layer of dust covered the room. On my bed was Cordy, the Armored Bear Stuffy that the Professor had given me during my second month at the Academy. If anyone else had attempted to give me one, I would certainly have reprimanded them for treating me like a child, but the Professor never seemed to do that. He treated my exactly the same as all the other students (though for the first three weeks, it was due to his ignorance) and it only seemed like he was catering to my interests. 

I gave Cordy a quick squeeze. 

_"For me? I love it! But what's the occasion?"_

_"I'm giving everyone something they can keep. I was hoping it would keep morale up."_

_"Thanks, Professor. But don't tell anyone what you gave me, or else they'll think me nothing more than a child!"_

When I first noticed Cordy's absence, I was devastated. Of course, I didn't tell Father right away, for fear of troubling him. It was only once I realized the role she played in warding off my nightmares did I ask Father to get me a new one. Even then, that one felt different. I called it Cordy but the real Cordy was a gift from the Professor. While the substitute did help me sleep, it was nowhere near as effective as the original. But now, I had the real Cordy back. After dusting her off, I placed Cordy neatly back on my bed.

Smiling, I opened my wardrobe, which still contained my old school uniforms and several pairs of navy blue tights. Curious, I took a pair of tights and measured them against my legs. The ends of the toes barely reached my ankles. "I guess I won't be needing these anymore," I said, to nobody in particular. I balled them up and started to wipe away the five years of dust that had accumulated on my desk. As I was cleaning, I heard a knock on the door. 

"Lysithea." 

I opened the door. "Oh, Professor!" He must have noticed my absence from the Cathedral. "I-I didn't think I'd be much help cleaning the rubble, so I-"

"I'm not accusing you," he interrupted. "But would you meet me for some tea? I wanted to catch up with all of my old students, and this seems like an opportune time to do so."

"Oh, of course, Professor. I'd love to," I replied. 

"I already have the tea brewing," he said. "I'll meet you at the gazebo in five minutes."

I finished wiping my desk and dropped the newly soiled tights onto the dusty floor, making a mental note to dispose of them later. Perhaps Leonie needed some rags. She'd at least appreciate my asking. After moving my belongings to my cleaned desk, I walked to the gazebo to meet with the Professor.

The Professor was already waiting for me when I got there. As I took my seat across the table from him, I took in the smell of the tea. 

Honeyed-fruit blend. 

"Oh, this is my favorite tea! Do you-"

I was interrupted when he pushed the sugar bowl in my direction. In addition to the usual teaspoon, it also contained a large tablespoon. I felt a faint heat begin to dust my cheeks. "Thanks."

I added a hefty spoonful of sugar to my tea, using the larger spoon of course, and began to stir. As I was doing this, the Professor offered me a platter of pastries. Absentmindedly, I took one and bit into it. Immediately, I recognized the flavor. 

"Professor, are these Enbarr sweetrolls?" I asked in surprise. "I haven't even seen one since the war started all those years ago! Where did you get these?"

"The merchant, Anna, still stocks them," he replied. "They don't come cheap anymore, but it's well worth it seeing you smile like that." He flashed one of his signature smiles - barely noticeable, but infinitely warm and comforting. I felt the heat in my face rise.

"You really didn't have to do that, Professor." I did my best to frown through the sugary goodness of the sweetroll. 

The Professor looked confused for a second. "Lysithea, why do you still call me 'Professor'? I'm no longer your teacher."

I gave it a thought. "Force of habit, I guess. You've always been a mentor to me, so 'Professor' just sounds right. I can make an effort to call you 'Byleth' though. Byleth..." I let the name linger on my lips. 'Professor' still sounded more _right_ , but I could get used to 'Byleth'. I sipped my tea.

The Professor chuckled. "There's no need. I've grown quite accustomed to 'Professor' as well. Speaking of which, how have you been keeping up with your training in my absence?"

"It was...rather difficult to advance my magical knowledge any further," I replied. "House Ordelia's library isn't nearly as extensive as that of the Monastery, and it was difficult at best to get access to other libraries, what with the war and all." I looked down at my tea, slightly disappointed in myself for my own lack of progress. "Though, I've made quite the discovery in the way of swordplay. I'll have to show you sometime!" I added with a hint of excitement.

"I look forward to sparring with you," the Professor replied. "Why are you planning on fighting the Empire, though? As far as I know, Edelgard's ideals aren't so far removed from your own."

It was true. I was completely against the system of nobility and Crests, though the reasons for it were directly related to the Empire. "I...I believe I mentioned this before, but House Ordelia was involved in a conflict with the Empire. It ruined us," I stated, attempting to avoid the grisly details of those memories.

"Yes, but Edelgard was merely a young princess at the time. It isn't right to blame a daughter for her father's mistakes," retorted the Professor.

I sipped my tea pensively. This was also true. Though, Edelgard as the Flame Emperor allied herself with the likes of Kronya and Solon...and I believe his name was Thales? In any case, their ghastly pale skin reminded me of the mages that took away my early childhood. Not to mention their crimes in Remire Village and their murder of Jeralt. I averted my gaze, afraid I might remind the Professor of that painful month, despite not having said anything yet. I spoke carefully, trying to avoid bringing up any of those memories. "I have no doubt that Edelgard will do anything to achieve her goals. Even if her goals are pure, I have no doubt that her methods will end up making things worse."

"I see." The Professor nodded. "I just want to make sure you're fighting for the right reasons. In any case, how has everything else been? Was everyone okay while I was gone?"

"Well, to tell you the truth, everyone took it pretty hard. I attended round table meetings alongside my father, but the only ones I saw were Claude, Hilda and Lorenz. Claude was the only one who maintained a calm attitude about the whole thing, but I think it was a facade, to keep the others calm about it. Marianne couldn't... she almost couldn't handle it. A week after you... you left... we all had to get together to convince her not to..." I looked at his emotionless face, wiping away a tear. "Where did you go, Professor? I...I thought you were dead..."

The Professor avoided my gaze. "Maybe I was. Truthfully, I don't know."

"Remember when Solon made you disappear? All of us couldn't...we wouldn't believe you were gone. Claude kept telling us you weren't...that you were alive, that we still had hope. And you came back after only a couple minutes, confirming that hope for us. When you fell of that cliff, we all thought you'd somehow make a triumphant return. We waited for an hour, then a day before Claude told us all to go home." Tears had started to run down my face, but I didn't care. "A week... a month... a year... I started to lose hope. Promise me you'll never do that to us again, Professor! Promise me you'll never do that to _me_ again!"

The Professor smiled warmly. "I will, Lysithea. As long as you promise not to die on me, either."

I was immediately reminded of the reality of my situation. Chances are, I wouldn't last through the end of the war, whether my body succumbed to a blade or my Crests. I couldn't, in good conscience, make that promise.

"May I be excused," I said, more as a statement than a question.

I left without waiting for the response, leaving behind my half-finished tea and sweetroll, and a very confused Professor. 

* * *

"Auuggffhhhh!"

I screamed into my pillow, wetting it with a mix of tears and saliva. I knew it was stupid; the Professor had no way of knowing of my plight. Yet part of me was angry at him. For reminding me - for _confirming to me_ \- that I had no future. As I laid there, sobbing, my mind took me back to the origin of my misery. 

I laid there, sobbing.

_On a wooden table._

_Heavy shackles held my arms and legs in place. I was helpless to move, save to decide whether I'd look at the bloodied wooden table I was bound to or the bloodstained stone walls of my prison. I was helpless to cover my ears, being forced to hear the muffled screams and sobs of those in other rooms. I was helpless to cover myself, save to use my unkempt hair to hide my sobbing face. All I could do was wait, and pray for mercy._

_I lost track of how long I laid there, bound to the table. For a moment I thought that today, my prayer would be answered._

_But the Goddess wasn't kind enough to provide._

_I heard the creak of a rusted door hinge, followed by footsteps and the clanging and rattling of metal tools. I squeezed my eyes shut and balled my fists, anticipating the blades that would cut into my exposed back._

_"Please don't," I whispered desperately._

_Of course, I got no response as I felt cold steel rend my flesh. I knew it was coming yet I still cried out. "It hurts!"_

_My captors ignored my pleas. I felt a warm wetness across my back, which was quickly replaced with a cold stinging. The smell of iron suddenly choked the room. "Ah! Please, stop it!"_

_A gruff male voice finally acknowledged me. "For the love of Nemesis, this one's the worst! Somebody shut her up, already!"_

_I heard an incantation before feeling the air itself thicken in my mouth, preventing everything but the most basic respiratory functions._

_I could only sob silently as cold stinging was replaced with searing heat. As my vision darkened, I could only pray to whatever cruel Goddess was watching over me for the sweet release of death._

I woke up in a cold sweat. It was still pitch black outside. Fumbling around, I found Cordy at the corner of my bed, sitting against the wall. I quickly gave her a squeeze, nuzzling against the soft fur on her head. 

"Happy thoughts," I said to myself. "Happy thoughts."

_I watched slack-jawed as the Sword of the Creator cleaved through space itself and the Professor stepped through the resulting rift, turning triumphantly to face us._

_"So the Fell Star consumes even the darkness itself..."_

_The Professor turned to Solon, and with a vengeful battle cry, led the charge against the imitation librarian._

I smiled wistfully. If only the Professor could cut through my shortened lifespan.

I can only wish.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I didn't want to do this to you but your A support is just so dang late! Now Byleth has to remain unaware of your crest cancer until so late T^T
> 
> Yes, I named the bear after Cordelia. There's just so much connection between Cordelia and Lysithea von Cordelia. They're both prodigies, they both suffered some trauma in their past and most importantly, they're both cute (Chrom has terrible taste).
> 
> Side note: I have nothing against Edelgard, and she's actually my second favorite route after Claude. I'm just writing as if Lysithea never got a chance to properly support with her. Black Eagles Lysithea would have a different opinion, but unfortunately this is Golden Deer. Don't flame me.


End file.
